T20 World Cup 2026: Abhishek Sharma has his plans sorted, says Sitanshu Kotak

India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak threw his weight behind swashbuckling opener Abhishek Sharma, who finds himself under the cosh after failing to open his account in his first two outings in the ongoing T20 World Cup.

While there are claims about Abhishek’s vulnerability on the off-side, Kotak said that getting into the minutiae with the 25-year-old would be counterproductive.

“We don’t overanalyse unnecessarily. Sometimes, you only start making more assumptions than the opposition. He has his plans sorted,” the former Saurashtra batter explained on the eve of the match against the Netherlands here.

That Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson had been planning for three days how to dismiss Abhishek was a feather in the Indian batter’s cap, according to Kotak.

“Credit to Abhishek that they are so concerned about Abhishek. They could have planned to get him out early, but I don’t think they could have planned that he would get out at mid-on,” he quipped.

Pakistan had prepared for the threat of Abhishek, but Ishan Kishan came out of the syllabus to hammer Salman Ali Agha’s men into submission.

Kishan, returning to the national set-up after more than two years in the wilderness, has undergone a stunning career rejuvenation following a tough period when he lost his BCCI central contract.

“He is not someone who cares too much about things, which the T20 game requires. He is very talented because he can play all around the ground, so he is very difficult to restrict if you don’t get him out,” Kotak said.

The coach also defended Tilak Varma’s 24-ball 25 vigil against Pakistan, during which the southpaw looked tentative against the spinners.

“Tilak played exactly the way the team wanted. Considering the wicket, we were more focussed on building partnerships and getting to the par score, around 160.”

Published on Feb 17, 2026